Egypt 'tourism rebound' slow to reach South Sinai
Egypt’s tourism sector has been slowly growing as people do not differentiate between South Sinai and North Sinai, where the fighting is ongoing between the Egyptian army and the Islamic State.
Egypt's "tourism rebound" is in full swing, according to a fact sheet circulated by the Egyptian Embassy in Washington last week. The latest numbers show increasing arrivals and revenues, which are set to rise by 47% by the end of this financial year, and is coupled with a promise from the Ministry of Tourism to double the size of the tourist sector by fiscal year 2017-18.
Daily occupancy rates in the Red Sea resort towns of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada reached more than 70% at the start of June, a Ministry of Tourism spokesperson told Al-Monitor. This is welcome news for an industry that has arguably been the worst hit by Egypt's recent years of instability and violence broadcast around the globe.
However, while numbers for the major resorts sound good, South Sinai resorts north of Sharm el-Sheikh are waiting for the "rebound" effect.
“In 2010, everyone in Dahab was saying 'We had an incredible year.' We looked forward to 2011 and thought we were moving on,” Jimmy Dahab, a businessman who has lived and worked in Dahab for 21 years, told Al-Monitor. Dahab's hotel Bishi Bishi — his last remaining business — saw occupancy rates drop from 100% to 20% over the last few years.
